DAX Falls for 2nd Day

The DAX 40 moved into the red to close marginally down at 26,292 on Thursday, the second day of losses, despite remaining close to recent record highs. While lower oil prices and reduced concerns over interest rates provided support, uncertainty over the Iran conflict kept investors cautious. Meanwhile, attention remained focused on corporate earnings as the reporting season drew to a close. Among key movers, BASF (-2%), Mercedes-Benz Group (-1.5%) and Volkswagen (-1.3%) posted the biggest declines. On the upside, Continental emerged as the top performer, rising around 3%. RWE gained 2.5% after reporting better-than-expected first-half profit, helped by a Dutch compensation payment and stronger energy trading, while reaffirming its 2026 dividend and long-term profit targets.

The DAX Index fell 31 points or 0.12 percent on Thursday to close at 26300 points. Leading the losses are Porsche Automobil (-2.20%), BASF (-2.15%) and Mercedes-Benz AG (-1.61%). Top gainers were RWE (2.99%), Continental (2.95%) and Fresenius (2.55%).

The DAX 40 edged higher to fresh record levels around 26,460 on Thursday, following losses in the prior day, led by gains in banks, utilities and industrials. Oil prices moved lower despite geopolitical uncertainty, providing some relief from concerns over energy supply disruptions and inflation. Meanwhile, investors eyed more corporate earnings and economic data from Europe and the US. RWE was among the top performers, rising more than 1%, as it reported better-than-expected first-half profit, helped by a Dutch government compensation payment and stronger energy trading, while reaffirming its 2026 dividend and long-term profit targets. Thyssenkrupp also advanced after its adjusted EBIT rose to €183 million in the third quarter, prompting the company to raise its full-year EBIT floor to €600 million from €500 million. Rheinmetall, Qiagen, Siemens Energy and MTU Aero Engines also posted solid gains, alongside Commerzbank and Deutsche Bank.